GOVERNOR STRA HAN'S SPEECH. 513 



and Central positions of the Gold Coast, in the Palaver Hall, on November 3, 

 1874 :— 



" Kings and Chiefs — I am pleased to meet you. Most of you present 

 have been old allies of the Queen, and some were allies of his Majesty the 

 King of the Netherlands. In times past there were disputes between you. 

 If I speak of those it is to tell you that all these disputes must cease for ever 

 and be at an end. Now all of you are under one flag — the flag of England. 

 The Queen desires me to inform you of her wishes and those of her people in 

 England; but before doing so I will first speak of what has transpired in your 

 history, and which has brought about the relations at present existing be- 

 tween you and her Government. 



"Few of you probably can remember how your country was disturbed 

 by Ashantee before Sir Charles M'Carthy's time. King Osai Totoo Quamina 

 made war on you, your armies were defeated, your women and children taken 

 captive to Ashantee, and you had to pay much gold as tribute. You know 

 that then Sir Charles M'Carthy was sent from England, you also know how 

 he pitied your condition, and gave you arms and ammunition, and sujjported 

 you in every conceivable manner. Yet though he lost his life in the end the 

 Ashantees were defeated, and were forced to retire from your country, and 

 Osai Totoo Quamina was forced to make peace, and you had peace in the 

 remaining years of his reign. I will not say much of what occurred during 

 Quacoe Duali's reign, though you still stood in fear of Ashantee and its might. 



" At the beginning of last year an army of forty thousand Ashantees 

 invaded your country under a general who was a member of the royal 

 family. This army defeated and scattered your forces, and devastated the 

 country around with fire and with sword. This army attempted to attack 

 the English forte on the coast. Of course it would have been easy for her 

 Majesty's land and sea forces here to have driven back the enemy, but your 

 country would have still been at their mercy. As your forefathers were 

 scattered and troubled by the Ashantees, so were you by Coffee Kalcalli. 



" Then the Queen sent out a general with officers, and an army composed 

 of some of her land and sea forces to deliver you from ruin. The general 

 attacked Ashantee on one side, and another captain on the other. The Queen's 

 general and army fought your battles for you. This force drove the enemy 

 out of your country, followed them into theirs, beat them in three large bat- 

 tles, took Coomassie, and burnt it, and forced the King to sign a treaty. In 

 this way you were relieved from defeat and misery. 



" The Queen accomplished all this without your assistance. Her Majesty 

 sent out these men in ships from England at a cost ten times greater than 

 all the gold there is in Ashantee, Akim, and Wassaw. Some of these officers 

 and men died in battle, and others from disease. Now, why do I tell you all 

 this ? Is it to tell you that the Queen wants you to pay back any portion 

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